UW Has Option To Run

While everyone was waiting on the raft trips and guitar riffs at Camp Geoduck this fall, Rick Neuheisel decided his team would paddle against the Pac-10 current and sing a different tune.

Down in the shadow of one goal line at Evergreen College, Neuheisel started working on an option offense. So much for all those people who thought the only options Neuheisel knew about were the ones on a contract.

“We were doing a lot of it during the mornings of fall camp,” the Washington coach told the Seattle Times. “One, for our defense, knowing Air Force was on the horizon. And two, just to kind of see where we’d be as a team, trying to look at schemes.”

Those schemes have started to work in the past two weeks. In a 31-24 win against Colorado, the Huskies ran 19 option plays and rushed for more than 200 yards. In a 34-20 win against Oregon, Washington ran 20 option plays. In that game, the Huskies rushed for 256 yards, the most since they rushed for 298 in a win over Michigan State in the 1997 Aloha Bowl. While some of this might be new to Huskies fans, the option has been a familiar wrinkle in Neuheisel’s past offenses.

During his stint at Colorado, the option was always a steady part of the offense. In 1994, when Neuheisel was offensive coordinator for the Buffs, quarterback Kordell Stewart and Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam slashed through the Big 12 with an option attack.

“Rashaan Salaam ran for 317 yards against Texas my first year at Colorado (1994) and probably 200 of it was on options,” the coach said.

Now with quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo and running backs Willie Hurst, Braxton Cleman and Paul Arnold running the option, the Huskies (2-2, 1-0) are a threat to slash through the rest of the Pac-10.

“This has been part of our thinking all along,” Neuheisel said. “It’s just coming of age.”

Road to the Rose Bowl

Stanford was humiliated by San Jose State, so its Rose Bowl chances are over, right? Maybe not. Consider this. The Cardinal is still 3-0 in conference play and atop the dismal Lack-10. The 3-0 conference start is the Cardinal’s best since 1971. And in 1971, the Cardinal went to the Rose Bowl.

Oh, yeah. Stanford also lost to San Jose State that season.

Offensive doubleheader

Washington State and Idaho will play back-to-back games Saturday in Martin Stadium. The games will feature the two worst offenses in Division I. The Cougars open the double dip against Louisiana-Lafayette at 1 p.m. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 113rd out of 114 teams in overall offense. They average 209.2 yards per game.

The Vandals, who are playing in Martin Stadium in an effort to qualify for permanent Division I status, play host to North Texas in the late game. The Eagles boast the worst offense in Division I, averaging 204.5 yards per game.

Uniform Changes

More than 1,600 people logged their opinions on the new University of Oregon uniforms in a survey conducted by the Eugene Register Guard.

Not surprisingly, the results were one-sided. Only 367 people liked the new uniforms, while 1,249 said they hated them.

“On a scale from one to ugly, those uniforms are off the ugly end,” said one survey participant.

Players of the week

Washington quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo was named the Pacific-10 Conference offensive player of the week following his 17 of 21 for 211-yard performance in the win over Oregon.

USC linebacker Zeke Moreno returned two interceptions for touchdowns and 13 tackles against Oregon State and was named defensive player of the week.

USC wide receiver/return specialist R. Jay Soward was named specialist of the week for his 85-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Beavers.

Odds and Ends

The longest winning streak in the Pac-10 is two games. That streak belongs to Washington. … Washington State’s Steve Gleason is second in the conference in tackles with 10.6 per game. WSU’s Billy Newman is fourth with 10 per game. … USC’s defense has allowed 205 yards rushing on 99 attempts in two games. That’s an average of 2.1 yards per carry, the 10th-best in the nation. … Cal has missed five field-goal attempts this year. Four of the attempts have hit the uprights. … Arizona’s Dennis Northcutt has caught at least one pass in a school-record 35 consecutive games. The Pac-10 record is 37 straight by USC’s John Jackson from 1986-1989.